


How Did You Get the Funding For That?

by MercuryMapleKey



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Academy days, Drabble, M/M, Pre-War, writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 07:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10715040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercuryMapleKey/pseuds/MercuryMapleKey
Summary: Skyfire's got a big expedition to a far off system fast approaching in his career path. Starscream doesn't want him to go. Those organic planets, what could they offer a mechanical species likethemanyways?





	How Did You Get the Funding For That?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm casually and super low key working my way through a writing challenge to try and get back in the swing of things, and Skystar is an old fave ship of mine so it was fun to start off with it. I'll be posting whichever drabbles end up long/good enough to stand on their own :)   
> The prompt for this one was "Things you said at 1AM"

“What’s the point of this stupid expedition anyways?”

Starscream, always a welcome addition to Skyfire’s lab space, had been sulking in them for the better half of a megacycle. He’d perched himself on top of the lab bench despite the clear safety violations behind the action, and complained loudly when Skyfire asked him to move his legs so that he could retrieve a few supplies from the drawers below him. “How useful could studying _organic_ planets really be? Do you know what I think?” He was going to tell him anyways. “ _I_ think they’re just using this trip as an excuse to shelf you so they can steal your work on atmospheric oxidation while you’re gone. You shouldn’t go.”

There was a rumour that that sort of thing had happened before. But then again, there was a rumour about the last vestiges of a scorned professor’s spark haunting the third floor corridors as well.

Truth be told, Skyfire had expected this kind of conversation to unfold sooner or later. Decacycles ago when he’d broken news about the expedition to Starscream the seeker had been happy to hear about it, confident that it had only been a matter of time all along. That pride had steadily fallen out of favour for contempt as Starscream had come to realize the full implications behind the grant. But sacrifices had to be made in the name of science, and a few years travelling in a distant system wasn’t much of a sacrifice at all – in Skyfire’s opinion.

“Starscream, I have to go.” He was trying to be compassionate to Starscream’s needs, but when it came right down to it Skyfire’s mind was already made.

Starscream scoffed and the annoyed sweep of his wings almost made contact with the fume hood beside him. This was just one reason why you weren’t supposed to sit on the lab bench. “Why?” He demanded, switching pace from clacking together the wet mount slides Skyfire had asked him to hold to peering at them suspiciously. “Do you really think they could say anything if you refused? This establishment would lose half its credibility without you, and you know it.”

He sounded quite sure of himself, and Starscream’s stubborn faith in Skyfire’s academic abilities always put a pleasant hum in the back of the shuttle’s spark and a smile on his face. He turned that smile on Starscream now even as he refused him. “No, I have to go because I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance like this again.” Taking the slides back from Starscream, Skyfire slotted them into his microscope. “This expedition is an honour Starscream; the Milky Way system has more organic diversity than any other we’ve been able to chart to date, and the academy wants _me_ to be the one to observe it.” It was a big deal. This excursion was a huge stepping stone in Skyfire’s career and they had both known it. Starscream didn’t have the same big break lying in wait around the corner, and they both knew that too.

Sighing, Skyfire peered into the microscope and tried to dial in the right focus for his sample. “I did ask you to come along.”

Starscream made a noise like he’d been personally offended by the offer, like he didn’t already spend more time with Skyfire than he did in his own hab suite. “And what? Wait servo and pede on you while you’re off gathering _moss and slime_? Do you really think I have the time to follow you around in the dead reaches of space?” Leaning over he flicked off a section of the overhead lights and the viewing problems Skyfire was having finally came into focus. Clever trick. “I have my _own_ career to attend to.”

It was true. Starscream’s work hadn’t been picking up quite the same attention as Skyfire’s as of late, but it was of equal importance if you asked the shuttle. Skyfire had no intentions of holding the other back, even if he would miss him in his absence.

Lifting his helm from the microscope again he jotted down some corrections in his notes and soothed a large servo down Starscream’s thigh. “I can always write to you too. A decivorn isn’t really that long.”

“Speak for yourself.” Starscream pushed the servo away and hopped off the bench, crossing his arms stubbornly. “I could be a completely different mech by then.”

“I’m still going, Star.” The loss of Starscream under his servo was something Skyfire felt acutely, but it wasn’t quite enough to stop him just as it hadn’t been all week. They could both be stubborn about the things that mattered, but Starscream was certainly being dramatic about it as evidenced by the betrayed ripple that shot through his EM field.

The seeker regarded him coolly: “Well I don’t think you should.”

With Starscream standing behind him Skyfire had to turn away from his work completely to give his partner his full attention. He tried for a smile, but that just pulled Starscream’s frown even deeper. Sometimes it was easier just to switch the subject.

“I’ve made note of that. Did you want to have dinner together tonight?”

“No.” Starscream squinted and his voice came out harsh and cold. “I don’t want to see you at all.”

He left the lab after that, slamming his servo against the wall console to open the door as he left and causing Skyfire to spend the next five kliks silently convincing himself that this was right. It was, of course. This research was the opportunity of a lifecycle, and the contributions he could make towards the community were potentially enormous. Starscream was prone to jealousy when it came to the popularity – and therefore funding – of research other than his own, but Skyfire didn’t truly believe that he really wanted him to miss out on this chance. He would have liked to think he knew Star better than that.

The nightcycle passed without further incident. Skyfire missed the dinner rush entirely catching up on last minute work and preparing his lab technicians for his absence, and Starscream never returned to the building demanding that he join him for the meal anyhow. Skyfire was leaving in a few short solar cycles; he had packing to do, and paperwork to finalize, and when he finally left the lab late that night he almost missed the message as it pinged in over his private commlink. Starscream. He hoped he wasn’t still mad.

_[You’ll be happy to know that I’ve decided I’m coming with you, whether you like it or not. So hurry up and stop avoiding me already.]_

Well, that worked out for everyone then. Skyfire headed home.


End file.
